


Elevator Pitch

by snowzone5



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Mileven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-19 15:28:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20212039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowzone5/pseuds/snowzone5
Summary: Mike is making a presentation to a large conglomerate run by Jane Ives. He gets stuck with a pretty girl in the very elevator he designed.





	1. The Storm

Mike got out of the cab and ran into the high tech building. The rain was really coming down and he didn't want his suit… his _presentation_ suit to get soaked. It would be uncomfortable enough going through his carefully prepared spiel. He didn't want to look like a drowned rat while doing it.

There weren't a lot of people on the main floor. He guessed his was probably the last appointment of they day and most people had been let off earlier to get an early start on enjoying the long weekend coming up.

Mike headed towards the elevators and followed a young woman wearing tight jeans and a plaid shirt into one. Probably the daughter of one of the managers in the building or something. She turned around to look at him at the same time an impossibly loud crack of lightning and resulting thunder rumbled through the entire building.

He watched her visibly wince. "_That_ one sounded like it hit the building," he said.

"Ugh. Don't reminding me." She said her big brown eyes looked a little fearful.

"I take it you don't like thunderstorms?" Mike said trying to be conversational, to keep his nervousness at bay.

She was in the elevator when he stopped walking. This particular elevator was one of those that clung to the outside of a skyscraper, he would have the entire view of the storm and the receding ground at once. He couldn't move

"Never have," she said, "you ok?"

"I forgot this particular elevator was one wall of outside glass. I'm not a big fan of heights. Childhood trauma and all that." He smiled. But he still didn't move.

"Ignore me if I talk too much… heights make me really nervous."

She laughed lightly, "and thunderstorms terrify me. We are together in an elevator combining our fears."

"What you're saying is that we're not going to be any help to each other if it gets bad."

"That's what I'm saying," she smiled back at him. He heard the elevator pinging. This elevator wouldn't close the door on someone standing at the threshold. He couldn't take another step he kept staring out at the glass.

She followed his eyes and immediately saw the problem. "Look at me," she said." He gave her a quick glance but his eyes were drawn back towards the outside. He felt like they were in a fish bowl that would descend very quickly to heights that scared him to death.

"Look at me." Her voice was more demanding. His eyes fell on hers. He hadn't noticed but they were really pretty, and for now, held his attention over the outside world.

She walked towards him and took both of his hands in hers. She pulled him into the elevator, and she backed towards a corner, taking him with her. Her back was squeezed against the back corner of the front of the elevator.

His face was no more than a foot away from hers. Her large eyes held his.

She looked him up and down giving him the once-over. "You know you are a little overdressed for this building, right? Who are you here to see?"

"You know you are like the eleventh person to tell me that today. I'm here to see Jane Ives of Ink."

"Ink?"

"I-N-K, I call it that for short. It stands for Ives Neuro-Kinetic."

"Oh? You know her?"

"No. I know she is ruthless in business but fair… which is probably a odd combination. She had me look at some designs a few years ago, I made some improvements she liked. She contacted me for contract work some time later."

"She talked to you?"

Mike laughed. "From what I understand _no one_ gets to talk to her outside of her entourage. I sent her an email. I've never seen her."

"I heard she replies with one word emails. _Yes_ or _no. _Usually no. So you got a _yes_ if you're in this building."

"Actually I got a _have your people contact my people._"

"You have _people_?" She raised her eyebrow.

"If you want to call them that. Everyone of _my people_," Mike air quoted, "are friends who wear multiple hats."

"What do you do… exactly?" She asked.

"I improve, increase, or design from scratch redundant safety systems."

"Have you done any in this building?"

"You're riding in one right now."

She looked around, "What makes someone design a redundant safety system for elevators of all things?"

Mike looked down, "I lost my parents and older sister in an elevator that failed. I promised my little sister Holly that I'd do everything in my power to prevent that happening again to someone else's family."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be flippant about it."

"It's ok miss, Holly and I, along with our friends, are proud of the work we've done. Our designs have saved people's lives. We don't compromise on a design."

"No compromise usually means expensive."

"You got that right. I'm sure your parents don't really care that Ives spent a lot of money on this elevator system if they get to hug you at the end of the day."

The young woman was silent. She cast her eyes down, "You are passionate about your work."

"I made a promise." Mike said taking a quick look to the glass wall, he was no longer able to look at the miniature cars getting smaller. His breath a little quicker.

"And a promise is something that you can't break. Ever."

Mike looked into her eyes. She knew. He didn't even have to acknowledge her words. Something unspoken passed between them.

"What makes this elevator have a _redundant_ design?" She said trying to keep his attention from the glass behind him.

"We try to make one thing, be it lights, power, buttons, we try to make it very hard to fail. So we put some kind of backup process in case it does. And then we do it four more times.

"So a if the lights went out, it means that six different systems keeping the lights from failing… actually failed?"

"That right, mathematical odds are so high we can almost guarantee one hundred percent."

"But you don't?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No, that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. We use the industry term _five nines_. It means that it's nine-nine point nine nine nine percent reliable."

"Smart." She smiled at him.

The elevator slowed to a stop. It wasn't halfway to the floor his appointment was on.

"Shit… uh, sorry… power is about to go out."

"How do you know?"

"Safety design, a sudden loss in power can result in a shocking stop for an elevator. This one detects power fluctuations and slows to a stop, at a floor if possible. Don't worry. These are LED lights in the elevator, takes very little power and the battery on the roof of the car will power it for days."

Another crack of lighting and they could see the power went out in all the surrounding buildings. Including the building they were in.

Including the elevator.

"Hmm, well that's not supposed to happen."

"Why _did_ it happen? Means all systems failed."

"Yeah. This isn't good news for me or my company. The design of this elevator makes it intentionally hard, if not impossible to disable the various redundancy systems. The fact that we are standing in the dark means that someone has intentionally altered physical hardware. I hope it's not Ives."

There was another bolt of lightning that seemed to pass right behind him.

Another quickly followed, in the flash, Mike could see a tear slowly making its way down her cheek.

"Sit right here." After she sat down she drew her knees up under chin and wrapped her arms around her shins.

Mike sat across from her still shielding her view from the glass wall and the storm outside.

"It's ok. I'm sure someone will be here soon. This elevator has a beacon system notifying various people that it's occupied and stopped between floors."

"If it wasn't disabled." She said in a quiet voice.

He sighed, "Yeah, if it wasn't disabled. Ok, I'm going to change all my designs to make them impossible to alter. Five nines is obviously not going to work. My reputation is on the line. And probably my business."

"Can you do me a favour and talk to me… it will keep my mind off the storm… why do you think you're business is on the line?"

"We put all of our profits back into the business. One failure makes it tough to recover from. If this elevator failed, how many others did?"

"What's ironic is that I was going to give a design sales pitch to Jane Ives, but I'm currently stuck in one of my designs. Not only am I late… and I heard she really _hates_ it when someone is late… so, not only that but, the fact that one of my designs apparently failed means my team has to scramble… and I'll lose contracts… and wow… didn't really think about it, but I think this stopped elevator means I'm done."

He was silent for a few minutes. The domino effect was going to be swift and devastating.

"I guess when this elevator gets moving again, I'll just head home. Dealing with the lawsuits is going to bad enough… but it means I'll have broken a promise to Holly." Mike's voice was shaky.

"Everything will work out." The young women said.

"Not really, When Ives Neuro-Kinetic sues you with an army of attack lawyers, that business goes away."

"You think she's that much of a ruthless bitch?"

"I imagine her advisors, board of directors, whatever, will tell her she has to. As a person she's a smart business woman, but I'm sure she has her limits. I'm not worried about the lawsuit. Wouldn't be the first time we were sued. My company has good lawyers. If it was any other company than Neuro-Kinetic, I'd probably be ok… but Ives is going to sue me into the dirt. I'm not worried about that.

"You aren't worried about being _sued into the dirt_?" She smiled at him like she didn't quite believe him.

"No. Right now I'm trying to figure out how to tell Holly." He looked down.

Mike gave the woman a quick look, and saw her smiling.

"Did I say something you found funny?" There was no humour in his voice.

"You are more worried about breaking a promise to your little sister then dealing with a billion dollar lawsuit. I'm smiling because you know many people I know that would have that attitude? None. Just you. And I don't even know your name."

"Mike Wheeler… formerly the lead engineer of Redundant Design Systems."

"I'm El Hopper. I'm here to meet my best friend who works here."

The next boom of thunder rattled the windows of the elevator car. He could feel her shiver, his hands still in hers. With the power out, the elevator had started to cool down. Mike took his suit jacket off and laid it over her shoulders.

"Thanks. Do you want sit beside me?" she said whispering, "We can share body heat. Looks like we'll be here for awhile."

She moved out of the corner so that her back was flat against the wall. She seemed so small even when he was pressed against her side. She was shivering.

"Uh, Miss Hopper it's not really that cold in here yet… you're really shivering."

"I don't like small spaces, or the dark. Or storms. Or lying. Or broken promises."

Mike chuckled, "well, _no_ girl likes lying or broken promises…"

"I didn't mean to make light of it… Mike… and call me El please. I can see your promise is weighing on you. It's made you forget we are clinging a few hundred feet to the outside of a building. But _you_ made me forget the storm." She took out her phone and started thumbing through it.

"Thanks for the reminder of where I am… I wonder if I can make the INK board of directors forget that one of my designs failed."

"Why don't you ask Jane Ives to investigate?" El said to him.

"I don't want her to think I'm trying to stall her or redirect blame. I have to be honest with her, I owe her that much for even taking a chance on my company. I'll own it, it's on me after all… but…"

"But Holly will be in the same room."

"Yeah," he sighed. His phone buzzed. It was a text message. He looked at it. "Hmm."

El looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"Text from Jane Ives. Short and sweet. _We're waiting'_ "

"You aren't going to text her back?" El looked up from her own phone.

"I heard that she doesn't like replies back that sound like excuses… and that's all I have right now. I'm just going to text back that I'm sorry…. Shit, gonna have to say I'm trapped in an elevator." He texted back.

His phone buzzed again. Puzzled he read the text. He wiped at his eyes repeatedly.

"What's wrong Mike."

"Jane Ives texted me back. She said not to worry, that Holly and the guys were working on it… and that she loved me. I guess she meant Holly." Mike half laughed half cried. "I'm not likely to get an _I love you_ from Jane Ives."

"Probably not. But that sounds like you might not be sued?"

"Nah, we'll be sued. Not a lot of business lawsuits are personal, they are just business. You used to have Apple and Microsoft suing each other on one hand, on the other making partnership agreements on technology. If we make this right… it might not be too bad. Maybe we won't be sued into oblivion."

"You actually sound relieved."

"Holly knows. She and our friends are on it. She loves me, not that I was worried about that, but at least she won't be too disappointed. Neither will the rest of the team. People have endured a lot worse than I have El. Not a lot of guys can say that. I'm feeling so relieved that I can say that being stuck in an elevator with a pretty girl is _definitely_ not the worst thing that has ever happened to me."

She smiled back at him, then looked up as the lights came back on… the elevator started to move.

Mike sighed. "Show time."

He helped El stand up and they faced the door together. Waiting for it to stop. When the door opened they stepped out.

Waiting for them were Holly, Dustin and Lucas. There was a redhead with her hair done up, glasses on and holding a clipboard. She was standing beside Lucas.

She raised an eyebrow looked at El who was still holding Mike's hand and standing very close to him with his suit jacket still draped over her shoulders.

The redhead spoke, "If you are ready Mr. Wheeler and," she gave a half smile and curt nod to El, "Miss Ives, we will all reconvene in the boardroom."

"Miss Ives?" Mike looked at her. But didn't let go of her hand.

"Call me El… please." She gave his hand a squeeze.

"And, please let me explain? Ok?"

Mike was confused. She squeezed his hand again.

"I didn't lie to you. I promise"


	2. The Boardroom

Holly looked at El. Jane, Mike shook his head. He was really confused.

"We will fix the problem Miss Ives. I promise."

El smiled at his sister, and said, "Max, make sure Miss Wheeler-"

"Um, It's Mrs. Henderson."

El's eyebrows went up, "Max, make sure Mrs. Henderson and her team have everything they need."

"Yes, Miss Ives."

"Mike, let's go get a coffee. We have a Starbucks in this floor."

"Uh, shouldn't we be heading to the boardroom." Mike asked.

"They can wait. I want to confirm something first. I also want to explain myself."

"El you don't have to explain anything to me."

"Yes I do. Mike."

They sat with their coffees at a corner booth. Mike leaned closer to her to whisper. "Don't call the cops on us but I think we just stole two coffees."

"Coffee is free here. Starbucks wasn't too pleased I was doing this, but I told them I was. I also told them if they didn't like it, I would just _buy_ them, and do it anyway."

"Um, El, Starbuck's market cap is over $80 billion, that's not exactly piggy bank money. You can't just _buy_ them."

El looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "And I would have plenty left over for a movie and a popcorn.

"Holy shit! How come I've heard of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet as two of the richest people in the world but have never heard of you?"

"You've heard of Comcast right?"

Mike nodded, "Of course."

"But you may have never heard of Level 3 Communications, or CenturyLink who bought them. They provide Tier 1 backbones. They are so far above Comcast they aren't even on the radar for news. Ives Neuro Kinetics is the same way."

"And speaking of Ives?"

El turned red. "Yes. About that." She sighed. "Ok, TL;DR version?"

"What's TLDR?"

"Too Long; Didn't Read. Kind of an internet meme for explaining things."

"Ok, I'm listening to the short version."

"My mother's name was Terry Ives. I was born _Jane Ives_. She wasn't fit to raise me, through no fault of her own, I was given the name Eleven. My dad rescued me from a horrible situation. He adopted me as Jane Hopper, but he called me El for short. I keep my _business_ name to Jane Ives, but I'm El to my friends."

"Um, Max called you _Miss Ives_."

"Yes she did. She's my best friend and calls me that in front of clients, people she doesn't know. She keeps it very professional."

"She works for you?"

"She's my PA."

"PA?"

"Personal Assistant. She keeps me grounded, she's a lot like that guy from the TV show M.A.S.H"

"Radar O'Reilly?"

"That's the one. Mike, call me El." She began to twirl her fingers through her wild curly hair.

"Ok El." Mike gave her a heavy sigh. "When should I expect the paperwork?"

"I'm not going to sue your company Mike."

"Why not, it's in your best interests, it sets an example, and I know it's probably not personal, it's just business."

"Mike. I'm not going to sue. Do you want to know why?"

"Yeah, I do." Mike was confused again.

"A girl name Holly, who I just found out is married to one of your friends, made a promise to me. And I know for a fact what a promise means to her and her brother." She gave Mike a wide smile.

Mike cleared his throat. "Whoever calls you a ruthless bitch is an asshole."

Mike was looking down at his coffee when Max came up to the table handed El a sheet paper from her clipboard. "Just as I suspected." She handed paper over to Mike and Max took a seat beside them.

Mike read over the sheet. "Ok, that makes sense."

"Does it mean what I think it means?" El said.

"Yeah," Mike said. "The redundant safety systems were deliberately made non-functional. Oh, do you think it was industrial sabotaged."

"In a manner of speaking. Max can you-" Max handed her another sheet of paper from her clipboard.

El looked it over. "Yeah, just what I thought." Ok. El started gathering her hair back, pulled a black hair band from around her wrist and put her hair into a tight bun.

"Excuse me Mike." She got up promptly and left the booth.

"Whats going on?" Mike looked at Max.

"You are about to see Jane Ives. The all-business version."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, you aren't going to be on the receiving end. I have to go make some arrangements. Maybe we'll meet again later... Um, ok, this is a little embarrassing, but is Lucas Sinclair… is he seeing anyone?"

"No… um, he's a really nice guy Max. Don't hurt him."

She looked at him, smiled and nodded. She got up to leave just as El came back to the table.

She had on a pants suit. "Severe looking aren't I?"

Mike was intimidated. "Um… uh."

"Ok that's what I wanted to hear. Mike. We are about to go into the boardroom. I'm not going to be the scared girl you helped in the elevator. You are not going to see that girl."

"Um, ok."

"But Mike… this is important… I _am_ that scared girl. I have to put on my bitch hat for a few minutes. I hate that you are going to see that. You have no idea how much I'm going to hate this. Let's go."

El led him into what Mike thought was the largest boardroom he'd ever seen. She whispered to him. "Stand over by your chart."

The easel with a graph showing was off to the side.

Men were looking at El as she stood at one end of the table. He head tilted forward, he gaze was menacing.

In a loud, demanding voice she said, "Do. You. Have. _ANY._ Idea where I have been for the last two hours?"

Mike couldn't be sure but he thought the lights flickered, he half expected another power outage. But the table shook a bit also and this state wasn't really known for earthquakes

A voice that was meant to be heard said, "screwing that guy?"

Another said, "probably in that new elevator" there were snickers.

"If you thought that was funny Mr. Walsh, you guys are gonna piss your pants over this." El signaled towards the door.

A uniformed police officer walked in.

And another.

And then another.

It continued until there was one for each member in the boardroom.

The Chief of Police also walked in.

"What is this shit?" Troy Walsh said.

The police chief spoke up. "I have reviewed the engineers assessment of the damage done to the elevator in question. And the minutes of the board meeting that you tried to bury. I've already talked to a state prosecutor. The entire board is being arrested on the charge of attempted murder of Mr. Mike Wheeler and Miss Jane Ives."

The clinking and clicking of handcuffs filled the room as board members were arrested… each was led out of the boardroom.

Mike's eyes widened he looked between the door everyone had left and El Hopper.

"Can you do that?" He asked.

"I didn't do anything. The chief of police did. I suspect that before the investigation is complete more charges will be laid. Take a seat."

El was working the hair band out of her bun. Mike felt more relaxed when she shook her curls loose.

"I'm going to have to burn this suit."

El looked at him, "why? It looks… really good… on you."

"I'm sweating buckets, I'll be leaking through any minute. A really expensive scotch right now would be perfect."

"Are you serious?" She asked.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you if you don't drink."

"Not a lot, but one of my vices is not a glass of wine while taking a bubble bath… it's drinking a really expensive scotch."

"Are _you_ serious?" Mike asked. "You never hear of girls liking scotch. They just think it's a mouth full of chemicals. I wonder if there's a whiskey bar around here?"

"Hmm. Follow me." El got up grabbed Mikes hand.

Mike found himself in another elevator standing beside the same pretty girl from earlier. "One very important rule before we step out of this elevator." Her voice had that no bullshit tone Mike was beginning to recognize.

"Um, ok.."

"No shop talk. I don't want to talk about work. Yours or mine. Ok?"

"Ok."

The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. The first thing Mike heard was jazz playing low in the background.

"You have a whiskey bar in the building? Isn't that a big liability?"

"No. You can only buy a drink with your car keys. When they take this particular elevator to the main floor, leads to a taxi stand. Taxi's are on permanent retainer by the company. It's not a building of alcoholics, but sometimes you need to unwind. We take all the precautions. We are smart about it."

"I came here in a cab, figured regardless of how my presentation went, I'd want some kind of drink afterwards. So no keys."

"I'll vouch for you," El smiled at him. They headed towards a booth, they could see that Lucas and Max were talking very close to each other.

El leaned over and whispered to Mike. I think my best friend likes your friend."

"It looks like the feeling is mutual." They sat down across from the two of them.

Lucas said to Mike, "you know the rules?"

"I know. No shop talk. Um, but where are Holly and Dustin?"

Max smiled, "those two geniuses were given a night on the town. They are going to be the main witnesses in court."

Mike frowned. El said, "Mike, our lawyers will keep them out of the courtroom. They will give video depositions only."

"Thanks El… and you too Max."

"Mike… I need you to prove one thing to me."

"Ok, El… if I can."

"I need you to prove your knowledge of scotch to me." She laughed.

"Ok, I think it's appropriate that we try Talisker Storm as the first one. I think you'll like this particular storm."

"Ok, I trust you."

XXXXX

Mike had never seen a redhead, or any girl for that matter and loaded as Max was. Finally Lucas pulled her up and said, "I'm going to make sure she gets home." And he was off before El could say anything.

Her eyes were wide as she looked at them go, "Mike?"

"You will find few honourable guys like Lucas… I mean I'd like to include myself in that group, but he won't take advantage of Max. Not even if she prances around naked in front of him."

"Are you sure? Because Max is impulsive… she doesn't sleep around, but if she really likes Lucas… um, clothes will be optional as soon she a she gets into her apartment."

Mike was starting to feel the effects of the few drinks that he had. He immediately regretted it when he said, "what about you? Clothes optional?"

"You want me to take my clothes off for you." She giggled… "oh, sorry I shouldn't have said that, no matter how much I want to… oh, I shouldn't have said that either."

"Miss Hopper, I think I need to take you home… I mean get you home… I mean _your_ home."

"Yessss… you are right." I live in the penthouse of this building.

"Ok, let's go."

When El stood up she immediately fell forward into Mike's arms. "Oops, I'm a little tipsy."

"It's the weekend, and today hasn't been the most fun. Like you said, it's ok to unwind." He put his arm around her waist and took most of her weight.

They gotten to the door on the top floor of the building. There were five locks on the door. "Hmm. Ok I think I'm still coordinated enough to open them with keys."

He heard the sound of all five disengaging at the same time.

"Electronic?" He said.

"Something like that. Want to come in for a coffee?"

"I'm not sure I should do that El."

"Mike…" She looked at him with eyes he could not resist. "I won't prance around in there wearing sheer panties and nothing else. No matter how much I want to."

"El…"

"Sorry I only half meant to say that. Mike. I promise. No shen...shenan"

"Shenanigans?"

"That's the word."

They walked in and Mike thought he'd just stepped into a log cabin. "Whoa."

"Different isn't it? I had it modelled exactly like the cabin I grew up in with my dad. Reminds me of home… makes me _feel_ like I'm home." She gave a soft sigh and smiled.

The door closed behind them and Mike heard all the locks engage.

"I"m going to change, make yourself at home."

Mike looked around admiring how cozy it felt. El came back out in a few minutes dressed in a sweater and track pants.

"You look comfy."

"I _am_ comfy. And you are still wearing a suit." She went over to a breakfast nook and starting tapping on her phone. She held the screen to him. "Will this work?"

"El, I'm not sure-"

She cut him off, "will this work, Mike."

He sighed. "Yes, that will work." El showed him a list of clothing articles and the contents of a shaving kit.

"Ok, I mean this in the most polite way possible… but you need a shower Mike. There's a bathrobe on the door, but your new clothes will be up before you are out. I'll put them in side the door.

He was just finishing his shower when heard the door open, he looked through the glass shower doors and watched El putting clothes on the side of the vanity. She looked up at him, and her eyes went wide. Then she quickly looked away. "Sorry Mike, that glass is more see through then I realized."

She quickly left the bathroom.

Mike finished and got dressed in the track pants and sweater, and went out to meet El in the small living room.

"Feels a lot better doesn't it?"

Mike nodded. "Yeah, I didn't realize how bad I'd gotten."

"You have a very nice natural scent… so… oh sorry. I'm not used to censoring myself."

Mike chuckled, "yeah I got that."

"I don't really want coffee. I don't want to lose this buzz. Are you interested in another expensive scotch? No panties will be harmed if you say yes."

"Ok, then. Yes." He laughed.

"Lagavulin 16 year?"

"You like them smoky?"

"I like them smokey."

El brought over two glasses, they were easily more half full.

"Um, El. that's not an ounce."

"I know, I want to sip this for a few hours."

El handed Mike the glass and turned on the tv.

"I wanted to thank you for the help in the elevator. I would have been paralyzed that whole ride. You are not like any girl I've ever met." Mike said.

"And I would have been a mess after a panic attack. I would have been useless for the rest of the day." She sat very close to Mike.

"Why did you have to be so nice?" She turned to him.

"What?"

"Spend the night with me Mike."

"I can't do that El. You've had a bit to drink. I do _not_ want to face Jane Ives in the morning. I'm a little disappointed you even asked." He frowned.

She cast her eyes downward, "I'm sorry. I really thought if you spent the night with me you might task me out on a date."

"El, my love life has been on the back burner for so long, I wouldn't even know how to ask a girl out on a date… especially not one that has a stupid amount money like you do."

"You just ask her, Mike."

"It's that easy?"

She looked at him, "yes."

"Ok El, do you want to go to dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yes." She smiled at him. "Nothing fancy ok? I'm tired of that kind of wining and dining."

"Ok, then pizza it is then. How about this. Do you want to spend the day with me going through used book stores and second hand vinyl shops?"

El pointed Mike to her shelf of books and a turntable sitting across the room. "My dad taught me to appreciate vinyl. That sounds like a fun day. Thank you for not letting me make a fool of myself."

"How about a compromise?"

"How do you compromise on not spending the night with me? That doesn't make any sense."

"We watch an old movie together, we keep watching until we fall asleep here on the sofa. Does that work for you? "

"It's not so bad a way to start a relationship… and that's what we're doing isn't it?"

"Yeah, El, I think we are."

"Good."


	3. The Dilemma

Mike woke up to find El's head on his chest and his hand was on her hip. The gentle curve of her body was pressed up against him and she was snoring lightly. He could feel her relaxed breathing.

He hadn't slept much, he'd been thinking about what he was going to tell her… and he had been enjoying her closeness. It was a totally new experience from him. He could have slept with her last night, but he knew that her regret this morning could result in a complete reversal of her attitude about suing him from last night. He hated to go there, he really didn't know what to expect.

But it wasn't just that. He'd gone over it in his mind over and over again.

"Mmmm" she said, "you're awake…." She didn't move.

"Yeah, for a few minutes. I have to tell you something. When you were snuggled up to me last night and we were watching the movie… I really wasn't paying any attention to it."

"I know, I didn't say anything. What's on your mind?"

"I started to re-think if I wanted to start a relationship with Jane Ives."

El stiffened against him. She slowly sat up and crossed her legs, sitting slightly away from him.

"I made a fool of myself last night didn't I, by throwing myself at you?" She said. Her head hung low, "So what did you decide, Mike?"

"I decided I did _not_ want to be known as _Mr. Ives_. Jane Ives. It's too high profile. Once the internet gets hold of this my private life, such as it is, will be over. I'll be under the microscope because you somehow picked me to sleep with. I don't want that."

"I see." She said. A tear made it's way down her cheek.

"What I _do_ want is a relationship with the scared girl who helped me in the elevator. El Hopper was her name. Is that possible? Is that really possible?"

She looked up at him, her big eyes wide and hopeful. She nodded her head. "That's who I am."

"Mike, when I was twelve you know what the only thing I wanted was? A boyfriend. That's it. I didn't want a kitten or a puppy, or a pony. I just wanted a boyfriend. One I could hold hands with. One I could kiss. One I could love. And one who maybe loved me back. It's really all I've ever wanted."

"But that didn't happen. Kids especially boys made fun of me because of my clothes and my hair. My dad was the chief of police but in a small town we were barely able to make ends meet so I didn't get new clothes. I stayed home a lot and watched a lot of tv. I wanted to be like one of the soap stars who owned her own company and… well I didn't want to be nasty. I didn't have a good education in my early years, so I made up for it. Long story short, Ives Neuro Kinetic is the end result. All I really wanted was a boyfriend."

She wiped her eyes.

Mike moved to sit closer to her and gave he a warm hug. "Ok, El… that's what you have."

She pulled back and looked at him, with eyes that made his heart sail. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. He held it for a few seconds and then said. "That's what you have now."

He waited a few minutes, looking into her eyes.

"Um, El, is it going to be awkward for you if we leave your apartment together? Are you going to have to wear sunglasses and and a big floppy hat if we go out today? That is if you still want to."

"I still want to go out... " she gave him a shy smile "with my boyfriend? I feel like I'm twelve all over again I want to tell everybody I have a boyfriend… but I'm not in the public eye. Nobody knows who I look like. The face of Neuro Kinetic has always been Max. She doesn't mind it. She doesn't take any bullshit… hmm I wonder if she spent the night with Lucas."

"I asked her not to hurt him… but I'm not sure she heard me… or what I meant anyway."

"Max would never do that. She's been just as lonely as I have. Women in powerful positions either get themselves a boytoy, or they stay single and people talk."

"I never thought of myself as a boytoy…."

"Mike, look at me." He looked into her eyes. If she hadn't spoken again he would have been lost in them. "_I_ don't consider you a boytoy… I… I want to have a serious relationship with you. Sounds very adult now that I've said it out loud, but I mean it. If you aren't in this for the long term please let me know now… ok?"

"Well, I _do_ need someone to cook for me and do my laundry…," he smiled at her but stopped suddenly when she didn't smile back. "El I was just kidding."

"I will cook for you and do your laundry Mike. I'm _not_ kidding. I like to think I helped progress the women's movement a little bit by being a player in the tech industry… but I _want_ to do normal everyday couple things… even… married couple things." She held his gaze…

"You are serious about this?" he referred to the to the two of them.

El sighed. "I knew I was serious when I pulled you into the corner and looked into your eyes. How's that for being a twelve year old girl. It's why I kept asking you questions. If this is all too fast for you..."

"If it's right it's not too fast. I think we are going to be good together… almost like it was meant to be. I just met you yesterday day, and you snuggled up to me all night sleeping. It didn't feel wrong or weird… it felt..."

"Heartsafe." She held her hand over her heart.

They looked at each other for a few seconds, "yes. That's exactly it," Mike said, "heartsafe."

El gave him a huge smile. "Good, I feel the same way. Do you want me to make you breakfast?"

"Putting two Eggos into a toaster is hardly making breakfast."

She giggled, "that's exactly what I was going to do. I can make you bacon and eggs if you want, but Eggos are my favourite."

"Eggos it is… and then we hit the second hand book shops… "

XXXXX

El came out of her bedroom wearing loose jeans, a blue paid shirt tucked in, and a newsy cap slanted just a bit to the side. Her hair was almost shoulder length with a bit of wave to it.

"What happened to your hair?" Mike asked his eyes going wide.

"That was hair spray and an curler. I wanted to try it out. This," she used both index fingers to point to her hair, "is the real me."

Mike stared at her, and then cast his eyes down, "um, you're really pretty El."

This time it was her turn to look down, she flushed a a bright pink. "You have complimented me more in two days than anyone to has in my entire life. Thank you Mike."

"I'm sure you're dad has told you."

"That's not the same, but no, not really. Are you ready to go?"

"Not in track pants… I'm in the hotel beside this building, I'll head up to my room to get changed."

El held his hand. He knew she would hold it for the entire for the walk to his hotel room. At one point he looked at her smile and said, "you've been smiling since we left your place."

"I'm happy Mike. I don't care that it seems like we are going too fast. You said it yourself, if it's right it's not too fast… and this feels _so_ right to me. If I were paranoid, I'd say that Brenner infiltrated my company for whatever he had planned."

"Brenner?"

"Long story… I don't know if I should tell you yet… I'm sorry… there's something you don't really know about me… I'm… I… Oh. Shit." She looked frustrated.

"Ok, I can tell that this is serious. You haven't really been at a loss for words since we met. It's… it's not going to affect what we have is it?"

El was silent, and Mike started to get worried, "oh… you think it will."

And for the second time today, Mike saw a tear on her cheek. "Is it that bad El?"

Her mouth turned down. "It's pretty bad."

"With the level of industrial espionage that goes on today, there'll be no way I can convince you that I'm _not_ a mole for this asshole. Shit. There is only one way and it doesn't work for either of us if I'm not a mole."

"There is?" El looked at him with her big eyes again.

"Yeah, I leave. Never see you again. It's one of those if-the-witch-drowns-she's-innocent scenarios."

"No."

Mike hung his head and sighed, "...this isn't going to work El... I mean we can pretend but you are never going to be sure. I wouldn't put you through that. Shit. Some asshole who I've never heard of just took away any chance I had with settling down with a girl I think I'm in love with… Sorry..."

Mike thought his heart would splinter when saw El's tears streaming down her face.

He turned and walked away.


	4. The Cabin

Mike locked the door to the hotel room. As if that was going to make any difference.

He sat at the writing desk waiting for the phone call.

When it rang he picked it up and listened.

"Did you sleep with the girl?" Brenner asked.

"No. It was happening too fast. She would have been suspicious… and there were... complications."

"Complications?"

"Yeah, she brought you up right in the middle of a touchy-feely moment we were having… it's like she knew. So I made some lame excuse and walked away."

"Failure has its consequences." The phone went dead.

Mike was numb. It was over. How had it gone all gone to shit in the space of a day? He hadn't exactly lied to El, but he hadn't been all that forthcoming either.

He heard a knock on the door. Maybe it was Holly? If so they might get out of this alive. Or maybe El, he could ask for help… after he explained everything… he thought that was only a remote possibility. It was probably completely out of the question now.

What he didn't expect when he answered the door were two goons dressed in expensive suits. One held his arms while the other plunged a needle into his neck.

As the light faded Mike wondered if he'd ever wake up again.

XXXXX

"..ole…" He his cheek felt warm and stung a bit. He heard an Oak Ridge Boys song on a radio.

"I said…." A sharp crack and an instant sting over his whole cheek, "wake _up_ you piece of shit asshole."

Through blurry eyes Mike could see something bright red. Could have been a clown's nose, but as it pulled back he saw it was a pair of lips wearing awful red lipstick. The face pulled back further and a woman wearing a bun so tight he was surprised her eyes weren't bulging out of her sockets. It was _not_ a good look for her.

It was Jane Ives. And. She. Was. Pissed.

He looked around. He was in her apartment. Max was standing at the kitchen counter nook thing with a laptop and a lot of wires coming from it to a machine with dials and meters. From that machine a lot of wires led directly to him. His head, his chest and arms.

There wasn't going to be any escaping, or getting rescued… there was nobody to rescue him.

"How stupid do you think I am?"

Mike said nothing.

"Hey, you slimy piece of shit, I asked you a question."

"Go fuck yourself." Mike cringed when the hand came up to slap him again.

He was sitting in a straight backed wooden chair. HIs ankles were duct taped to the chair legs and his hands were bound behind is back. Tightly, he could only feel pain back there.

"If you're going to torture me, stop hitting me like a girl."

She slapped him again. The sting actually cleared his head a little.

He was able to croak out a "sorry."

"Sorry! You're sorry?! You know what two things infuriate me the most? You _lied_ to me! Ok I really thought we had something, so I tested you by bringing up Brenner. I'll admit, your reaction is not what I expected, I'll figure that out later."

"The second thing, women in my position don't get in a position like this from being stupid. _I'm not stupid_. You and Brenner really thought you were going to get away with it? We already know you've been planning this for years."

Mike kept silent. He saw Max twiddling a fly swatter.

"You're awfully quiet for a guy who's about to get disappeared."

This must be the real Jane Ives. Mike started to sob, "I'm sorry Holly."

El put her hand to her mouth, losing her composure a bit before regaining it.

"Holly, Dustin, and Lucas are in a safe house. No thanks to you. But _you_ are not. You only have yourself to blame."

Mike looked up through tear soaked eyes. "No way you can save her, she'd probably already dead. So whatever you do to me will be doing me a favour.

"I should just push you out of the door and be done with you. Did I really mean that little to you?"

"No, you meant a lot… you were… heartsafe… that's why I walked away. And that's why I'm dead once I'm outside of this building. You aren't going to believe anything I say so I'm just going to stop talking."

"You're right. I'm not going to believe anything you say. I _will_ give you the courtesy of listening to your excuses… because for a few hours we clicked… I will give you that much… I really thought we had something… I've been a fool, I let my loneliness get the better of me… but that's the last time. How much is he paying you, asshole?"

He waited for it but nothing happened. "He's not paying me."

"Oh, bullshit! Nobody does this for free. You really do think I'm stupid don't you?"

"Brenner wants you bad. I don't know what you did to him but he's willing to kill for it. He was going to kill Holly if I didn't do what he said."

"Oh, please, drama much? You have the money to pay for bodyguards, you hire good ones. Problem solved."

Mike snorted out a laugh, "yeah that worked."

"Just tell me why, Mike." Her voice had lost a little bit of the edge it had a few minutes ago.

Mike gave a huge sigh. The effort made him wince in pain.

"I _did_ hire bodyguards to protect her. Want to know what that psychotic son of a bitch did? He dug up my sister Nancy's remains and dumped them in Holly's bathtub. Just to prove he could get to us anytime."

"Mike…."

"I'm guessing you never had to secretly re-bury your sister's remains in an unmarked grave without anybody knowing?"

"Mike, I'm so sorry."

"I didn't sabotage _any_ if my work for your company. My pitch was going to be legitimate. I didn't know you were Jane Ives in the elevator. I'm… not lying about that. I had to do it El. To save Holly… but I failed at that too." Mike hung his head.

She left the room.

When she came back out the bun was gone and her hair looked like it did that morning. The lipstick was gone too. She was holding a cell phone and put it up to Mike's ear.

"Mike? Are you ok?" It was Holly. Mike burst out crying. She was alive!

"He'll see you soon Holly." El said.

The sound of the door opening, It was Will's mom, "Special Agent, Joyce Byers, this is my partner Bill Hargrove. The music is playing. Good."

"Max, cut those zip ties for me? You won't hurt me MIke? Will you? I don't think Brenner wants me dead, but it's probably a close second to getting me alive."

Mike rested his forearms against his thighs, waiting for the pain of the pins and needles. It was going to be bad.

"I would never hurt you El. My life ended when I walked away from you. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I don't think either of us have any idea of the lengths he will go to. Why is he obsessed with you? He's already ruined my life. I'd just ask that you try to keep Holly and my friends safe. It's over for me."

"She safe Mike. Your friends are safe. _You_ are safe. I promise."

"You can't promise me that El. I wouldn't hold you to it."

"I _can_ promise you that."

Mike doubled over in pain as the blood flowed back to his wrist and hands.

El grabbed his hands and started massaging them. The pins and needles slowly went away. Once his hands were free he wiped his eyes.

"Mike, look at me."

He couldn't. There was no way he could look into those eyes.

"Look at me Mike." Her voice was a little more demanding… just like it had been on the elevator.

He looked at her.

"Tell me the truth, from your heart… do you think we could still be together? Once this is all over?"

"I told you this morning I thought I was in love with you. That wasn't a lie. I meant that and… I still feel the same way. It really hurt to walk away knowing what I was going to be facing."

El turned to the FBI agent Byers, "I guess that worked. Do you have a clean one?"

The agent introduced as Hargrove handed El a gun with a silencer on it. "Untraceable, but it we'll bury parts with the body."

All three of them, pointed their guns in Mike's face.

"I told you I loved you, and now I'm going to be killed?"

"What did you really think the music and the fly swatter were for Mike?"

"Go ahead and do it now," Max said, "the tub is not going to fill itself with bicycle parts."

"MIKE! MIKE!"


	5. The Decision

"MIKE! MIKE!"

"MIIIIKE!"

Mike's eyes snapped open. El was shaking him vigorously by the shoulders. Her face was wet with tears. Her beautiful eyes were wide and panicked.

Mike sat straight up, "Ugh, I'm awake."

"You wouldn't wake up," El's breath was hitching, "No matter what I tried. I slapped you a few times. You just kept saying you were going to be killed and that you loved me."

After she said that she cast her eyes down, and was crying quietly. Mike leaned over and quickly gave her a hug and then flopped back on the armrest.

"Oh, man , I'm glad to be out of that dream."

"Why would I want you… dead." She had a hard time saying the word.

"The details are fading fast, but I was apparently being extorted by a guy name Brunner, or Brenner."

Her eyes went wide again, "Brenner?" She said cautiously. "Have you ever worked for h-somebody named Brenner?"

"Brenner is it? No. He offered us a very sophisticated but very cheap micro-component once, but I wasn't comfortable using intellectual property we didn't own, and a little suspicious. Especially because he didn't ask all of us to sign NDA's or anything like that. He was too eager for us to start using it… on our new contracts, this building being one of them. I had Dustin test it. It failed because we do intense Fourier Analysis checksums between all of our components. It's part of the design redundancy we do for everything. That got Dustin curious, 'cause Brenner insisted we could drop it right into our circuit boards. Anyway Dustin reverse engineered it. Totally legal 'cause Brenner or Brunner didn't make us sign anything."

El was said quietly, "what did you find?"

"He had a backdoor in the microcode. He could have remotely controlled every elevator our equipment was in. We had a legal out though, his chip wasn't within FCC spec tolerances so we told him we couldn't legally use it. All elevators get inspected by a government office. There was no way he could get around that… and … uh." Mike looked at her.

"Are you asking because you think I work for him?"

"He's been trying to infiltrate the company for a long time." El said, sounding very business like. She was wiping her eyes.

"I don't like that side of business…" Mike said, "It was something I was thinking about last night, and I think that might have made its way into my dream."

"That was no dream, Mike, it was a full blown nightmare. You were thrashing around, and crying, and making weird noises."

"I'm struggling with a decision right now… I'm conflicted between two things El. Something I don't want, and something I do."

She looked at him.

"I don't want any part of that high stakes world El… sorry. I can't do it. That dream was bad. I think he really would have dug up my sister's remains."

Her eyes got wide again, "What!?"

Mike took a minute to explain what he could remember of the dream, "It started with us waking up in the morning, ready to do some bargain hunting, when I got paranoid and made an excuse to extract myself from our… relationship."

When he finished, she said, "so we don't have any chance at all?" she was staring at her hands, fidgeting in her lap.

"That's just it. I don't want that world… but... I... do… want you. I just can't see anyway where you'd be happy leaving it given the success you are having."

"It sounds like you've already made your decision." El sounded business like again. But this time there was the inflection of finality in her voice.

Mike was silent. She was shutting him out, stealing herself to be all business… It felt like Jane Ives was pointing a gun to his face.

"El…"

"I get it Mike. I've never met one guy who wasn't scared of a successful woman. So believe me, you are just another cog in a large boys club machine. I will honour the contract my company has with yours, of course, and we will probably still do future business with your company. You produce exactly what we want, you have integrity about it that isn't always out there. I respect that."

"Ok."

"I would ask that you not be overly familiar with me in future proceedings, it would be awkward for your sister and friends, my staff included. And frankly, really awkward for me. Will you agree to that?"

"El…"

"Don't look at me like that, Mike. It's a legitimate request. If we aren't going to have a… closer relationship, then we aren't going to be friends."

"We can't be friends?"

"Um, no Mike. Too late, I _can't_ just be friends with you. I practically threw myself at you last night. I wanted to fast track our relationship." She gave a huge sigh. "We can't be just friends. That won't work for me at all. But I do thank you for not taking advantage of a girl with that much booze in her system."

El gave him a tight smile. It didn't look genuine at all.

Mike felt out of place and completely unwelcome. "This is much worse than the nightmare I just had." He hung his head.

"It doesn't have to be Mike, just ask yourself why you started your company. Your sole driving force. You promised Holly. What would happen if you left the company? Could you still keep your promise to her?. You can't honestly tell me you could, but yet you're asking me to leave mine? It's not fair Mike. Not to either of us."

"You're right it isn't." It was Mike's turn to give a huge sigh. He could see he was going to have to be the one to cave on this issue. It wasn't like it was his personal integrity was at stake, or that he was dead set against having a girlfriend who was probably the richest person on the planet.

"If it makes it easier for you Mike, I promise not to have you killed." This time her smile was genuine.

Mike burst out laughing, "At least if you do, don't have Oak Ridge music playing in the background."

El laughed also, "I still can't figure out where the fly swatter bit came from…" El looked down, "Mike… can't you see? We are good for each other… we are good together."

"I've never been more comfortable with anybody in my life, except for you. I don't want to give that-this up."

"And Mike, you live in the same world I do… I. I… don't really believe that's your real reason."

"It's not. It's… Ok you just said it, we _are_ good together. But we would never _be_ together, we'd both be busy running our companies."

"Is that all you worried about?"

"Being with you all the time, is a big deal to me El. I really…" he gave another sigh. "I really don't want to be away from you. That's not going to work. For either of us El. It's not fair to either of us."

El started to chew her bottom lip. "If i could sleep beside you after a bad day, that would be amazing. How about a com-compromise?"

"If it meant being together all the time, I'm in."

"You move your corporate headquarters into this building. Your office next time mine."

"It would mean moving our testing facilities to this building or underneath this building."

"Ok."

"El, it's a very expensive to make move like that."

"Haven't you heard Mike, I'm stinking rich. If that's what it takes for me to sleep beside you every night. Then it's done. Period."

"But…"

"Mike, it's not a gift, you pay my company back, every cent, with interest. But I'd let you take your time… with Neuro Kinetic resources, you'd get new contracts… I could even buy your company, problem solved."

She saw the look on his face and then said, "Ok I can see that's not an option, but we have lots of wiggle room here. Neither of us have to give anything up. Or feel like we sold out."

"Ok El. I want to do this. I want to be with _you_."

El gave him a dimpled smile. It almost knocked him flat.

"Still want to go bargain hunting today. With me?" She asked.

"Yeah, I need to go change. I can meet you downstairs."

"You'll be swamped by security if you step out of this loft."

"What?"

"Security tags, you don't have one, I'm going to need to be with you until you leave the building."

"For security purpose, I get it."

"No, Mike. As your girlfriend."


	6. The Demonstration

"The suit doesn't look too bad. Probably a good thing you didn't sleep in it." El held is hand on the walk to the elevator.

El visibly cringed and ducked when a loud crack of lightning rattled windows.

"That was close." Mike said, almost ducking himself.

"Shit, I don't really want to get on the elevator. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Remember my crew fixed any problems, so we should be good. You'll be with me. We'll talk about the fantastic sex we'll have later on tonight."

"Ok you distracted me… if you want to talk dirty to me in the elevator, I'm giving you permission."

They walked into the elevator, and Mike reeled with a sudden attack of vertigo.

"I've got you Mike. Look into my eyes." She dragged Mike to the same corner they'd used before.

"Thanks, El. That storm looks bad, _you_ look into _my_ eyes."

The whole elevator shook, with the wind. "Should we take the stairs?" Mike asked a little worried.

"You really want to walk down seventy-five flights of stairs?"

"Good point."

A loud crack and Mike could see El wince. A tears formed in her eyes. "I really hate storms."

Mike whispered in her ear, and El giggled, her eyes wide, "You dirty boy! Mike if we were not in a fishbowl elevator I wouldn't even hesitate."

Suddenly one of the glass panes in the elevator blew out, Mike immediately pushed against, El backing her tighter into the corner. "We have safety straps that should pop out."

"Are you telling me they failed?" El seemed more worried that angry.

"Yeah, but redundancy so...," he pushed on a panel and straps popped out.

"These are just like plane seat belts, but there's a cross-strap like a car, and a harness strap from underneath… I, um, need to reach down between your legs, and up under to grab it."

"Don't you try to feel me up mister," El giggled.

"Oh I'm going to do just that Miss Ives." Mike reached underneath her. It was snug.

"You weren't lying about that." She gasped.

"Yeah sorry, El, I want to get you strapped in tight."

The elevator shook as it was buffeted by the wind. "Ok, even if the whole canopy comes loose, you will still be strapped to the side of the building waiting for rescue…"

"Um, Mike, What about you?" Her voice sounded shaky.

"I'm going to use the straps in the other corner." the wind was tugging at both of them and suddenly the whole glass enclosure was ripped away from the floor. High winds threatened to pull him from the floor, he looped an arm around one of the straps that were holding El.

He yelled so she could hear him over the wind. "These straps are tested for a thousand pounds. They will hold both of us."

The elevator stopped and, firemen and security with rescue gear were waiting for them their heads poke through the door opening.

A savage gust of wind ripped Mike from El's harness, and he suddenly found himself with his arms windmilling and legs bicycling in mid air. He was a cartoon character desperate to stop his 75 story fall to his death.

But he didn't fall.

He hung in the air

He looked at El, and her hand was outstretched. Mike felt himself be pulled towards the elevator doorway where he was grabbed by a large fireman and taken to the interior of the building.

Mike's fear of heights got the best of him and he slid to the floor out cold.

XXXXX

Mike opened his eyes. He felt a cold cloth on his head, and El's worried eyes hanging over them.

"Mike." She breathed. "Don't try to sit up."

"It would be much easier to kiss you if I did." He gave her a weak smile.

She lowered her mouth to his and gave him a soft kiss. "I thought I'd lost you."

"That was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. It's the worst thing to happen to someone who doesn't like heights. I don't think I can get in that elevator again. I'll walk down the seventy-five flights."

"Some weird updraft thing blew you back into the building. Um we aren't in my apartment. I had you brought here. Neuro Kinetic had a very bad day today."

"El…," Mike looked at her, "before we design elevators like that, we have to study wind currents around buildings this size… all kinds of math and science, computer modelling goes into it. No weird updraft did that. I can't imagine what damage that did to the street below. Was it bad?"

"Everything that came off the building was taken out to the lake. Other buildings in the area weren't so lucky. None of them were owned by me. Nobody was killed in the damage. What do you think happened? To you?"

"In my dream you said there were things I didn't know about you, but I'm sure you don't have any superpowers… you were holding out your hand, and looking like you were concentrating like you had powers, but I was half out of my mind."

"Ok." She gave him a half smile.

"Um, that wasn't a very convincing _ok_. So obviously no superpowers, but you had something to do with it?"

"Why do you think I don't have superpowers?"

"As much as I was into, well, am still, into science-fiction, I also live in the real world and have to go to work Monday mornings like everyone else. Can you help me sit up?"

El helped him sit, he said, "What do you mean we aren't in your apartment? I remember how it looks, we woke up on this sofa this morning."

"Can you stand? I want to show you something." El helped him up and led him to what he thought was the apartment door.

As they walked Mike said, "don't get me wrong, it would be great if I had a girlfriend that had superpowers, and just saved my life, but… I mean, that's every twelve year old boys dream right?"

El opened the cabin door. Mike wasn't staring out into an apartment hallway, but woods… and it felt like they were in the middle of nowhere.

"Remember I said I had my apartment modelled after where I grew up?"

"This is where you grew up. Ah, smell that air…" Mike took a deep breath.

"You saved my life, you know that right?"

Mike snorted, "Yeah, even though the elevator failsafes, failed _again_. Dustin will have proof of the fixes. It's required by law, so I don't understand what happened. All that equipment was well designed and built. Even with the sabotage it shouldn't have failed the _first_ time. Will you and Max have us rebuild and fix it. Or is she suggesting you cut your losses with my company?"

"Max is one of the reasons both our companies had a bad day."

"Sorry, El, embezzling?"

"I wish it was just a money thing. No it's much worse than that. She was Brenner's mole. Let's go for a walk."

"Isn't she your best friend?"

"_Was_. And that hurts a lot. She betrayed me. I've known her since I escaped- uh, I mean since my dad found me… um, I mean since I was a kid."

Mike looked sharply. "Uh, escaped? You are kinda scaring me El. Industrial intellectual property aside… um, we can't have any secrets between us El. I get the feeling you've got a really big one."

They came to a clearing that had a wooden bend in the middle. El sighed. "You are right, I need to tell you, I can't tell you to keep it a secret, but I'm hoping you will… because… because…

"El?"

"Because I think I'm in love with you."

Mike smiled breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok I thought I was in this alone. Now that I know I'm not… before you say anything," Mike leaned, she turned her face up slightly to meet his. He gave her a lingering kiss.

"That's a promise that I we try to work out whatever it is." He looked into her eyes. "Ok?"

El smiled at him. "Ok, Mike, let's sit on the bench, I'll tell you everything. Watch this first."

Mike waited. His eyes felt like they would leave the sockets as he saw the bench levitate, spin around forward and backward and then finally settle back down.

Mike wiped his eyes. "I will forget that I have a girlfriend with superpowers. You saved my life up there. Thank you El... tell me your story. Don't leave anything out. You can trust me. I promise."

"All I really want Mike… is for you to still be with me after I tell you."


	7. The Compromise

Mike wiped is eyes. "That's awful… who would treat another human being that way. And a little… that's awful…" Mike couldn't help his tears.

El pulled him into a hug. "Now you know why I've done all the things I have. I will get back at Brenner. You've given me some ideas I never thought of. It's ok Mike." She hugged him tighter. "You will make up for all the sad things that have ever happened to me. Just by _being_ with me. You… still want to be with me… right? Now that you know all that?" El sounded unsure and Mike wanted to reassure her so that she had no doubt left in her mind.

"El… look at me." When those beautiful piercing eyes met his, they smiled. That smile made its way to El's lips, and then Mike had no choice but to kiss her.

"That's all I needed to know Mike. Thank you... I… want to take care of you. I've been taking care of myself most of my life, not counting a few years with my dad and Max." She frowned. "But now I want to take care of you."

"I was going to tell you the same thing. You don't need to El, I've been taking care of myself and Holly since my family has been… gone… and you and I still have busy lives." Mike didn't want to have this conversation again. He didn't know what to say.

"How about a compromise?" She said.

"We can't compromise our drives, what makes us _us_."

"I have a few hours to think about this." El looked like she was still thinking about whatever was on her mind.

"What did you come up with?"

"I know I can't pass the company on to Max-" Mike interrupted her.

"Shouldn't you give her the same chance you gave me?"

She looked puzzled, "Ah, sorry El. that was in my dream… um, but in my dream I was being forced to. Maybe it's the same way for Max. Is it worth at least looking into?"

El looked at him, a big smile on her face, her eyes bright. "You are a beautiful human. You don't think the worst of anybody. I gave you all kinds of openings to call Jane Ives an evil bitch, and you gave me good reason why she-I was just a smart business woman. For every one of them. "

Mike shrugged, smiling, "I can't help who I am."

"I never want you to change. Ok, I will investigate further."

Mike looked around, "Um, where are we?"

"We are on our way back to the cabin."

"Ok, I figured that, but that's in…?"

El seemed hesitant before she said anything, "Sorry Mike, this is hard for me. This was my safe place. For me and my dad, we are in Hawkins, still in Indiana."

"Hawkins?" Mike felt himself go cold.

"You've heard of it?" She asked.

"This is my home town, and the lab must be… shit… how did I not make that connection? You're _that_ Jane Ives."

"It's done with Mike. Don't let it bother you." She must have seen the look in his eyes because she pulled him into another hug.

"Hmm." Mike said.

"What's wrong?"

"I asked Max not to hurt Lucas. If she was forced by Brenner, Lucas will forgive her. If not…"

"It always hurts when you're friends do something you'd never think of them doing. Max and I have been through a lot, and that's why I'm going look into it further. But Mike… if she's _not_ being forced, she'd going to do time. It means she chose Brenner's money over our friendship. And she did it for years."

"You wouldn't give her a second chance?"

"Every time she got money or whatever from Brenner she had a chance. This has been going on for years. How many chances is that? It doesn't restart because I just found out about it."

Mike nodded. "But if she was forced?"

"Then she gets my army of _attack lawyers_ as you called them. All on her side."

Mike smiled at her. "I'm hoping for both your sake and for Lucas, that she was forced. I mean that's bad enough as it is, but at least it was out of her control."

"Me too. Betrayal is the worst way to lose a friend."

Mike nodded. "Looks like there is someone on the porch of the cabin."

"That will be my dad."

"Hey, kid."

"Hey dad, I want you to meet the guy I love."

Hopper looked back and forth between them, nodded and said, "Wheeler."

"You know him?" El said.

"I knew all the little trouble making bastards in Hawkins, he wasn't one of them. How's Holly, Mike."

"She's good Chief. We had a bit of a scare yesterday, but it's all good."

"What about her smartass husband, Henderson?"

"The whole Party is great, um, thanks for asking."

"Why do I suddenly feel like an outsider here?" El looked between Mike and her dad.

"Your dad kinda watched over us, we got bullied a lot. But we all stood up for each other. You would have fit right in El."

She looked down. "I needed to stay safe."

"I know El, don't worry about it."

Hopper looked at his daughter, "I couldn't reach you, so I figured you came out here for some alone time."

"Alone time with Mike, dad."

"I get it." He stepped forward and held out his hand to Mike. "Do I even need to say it?"

"No, sir you don't." He stepped forward and shook Mike's hand and in a low voice said, "Thanks."

He hugged El, and kissed the top of her head. "You know where to find me if you need me."

"I know dad, I love you."

"Love you too kid."

Hopper left through the woods.

"I feel like I'm starting a new chapter in my life." Mike said.

"Mine won't start until I've taken Brenner out of the picture."

"Do you have any idea how you are going to do that?"

"Oh, yes I do. But I need your help."

"What can I do?"

"Redundancy Mike. It's what you are good at. I don't want my plan to fail."

"Holly, Dustin, and Lucas will need to be in on it. This company wasn't just my ideas."

"I know Mike. but for now, anyway, yesterday you said something about the fantastic sex we were going to have. Well... I'm waiting."

"Ok, we should probably go in the cabin then."

El looked like she was thinking about it. "Ok, then, in the cabin it is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried for a clean ending for now, but I'm not done with this particular AU.


End file.
